I got quoted an OTD price for the fairing model, all standard, at just over $9K with an MSRP of $7799. The salesman wouldn't give me the actual quote, only the OTD price, so I'm going by memory that he charged around $290 for shipping; $149 for document fee; and $199 for assembly. That puts total fees at this particular dealer @ around $638 before adding the mandatory state and local charges.
The salesperson told me that Japanese-branded bikes have traditionally allowed higher margins than U.S. and European brands @ MSRP and have previously been around 17%, but that these new, lower priced Honda bikes are coming in around 9-10 percent, which is more like U.S. and European brands. He said the upcoming Grom will be about 5%. I'm assuming he was being somewhat honest to a point but not considering the Honda-suggested shipping charge in his assessment, which would bring the margin up to an acceptable level. I kind of believe him about the margins being low in general with respect to MSRP prices, because this is sort of the way it's been going in the car industry for years, however, he and I disagreed about the dealerships making up for the low margins. He said that they can't make it up. That they have to sell at MSRP. I said that they make it up with these fees. He said that those fees are not profit; they are actual costs. I told him that those are the costs of operating a business. That all businesses have costs to operate and that of course those fees add to the bottom line. What else could they do? They don't send the money out externally, and they will always have costs to buy and sell merchandise and for overhead, so of course those fees give them profit.
I did not haggle @ this dealership, because he and the sales manager and a couple of other members of the staff had a short conference and really studied before offering me a deal, and they knew I was shopping dealerships. When he came back to his desk, they had low-balled the trade in @ $3,000 for a 2013 BV350. They have three of this same model year scooter, new, on their sales floor listed for $5699 + $350 shipping + $199 assembly +$149 document fee and could not offer me more than $3,000 for one that is one year old. This dealer was so far off a competitive price, plus they were very low on the trade value, so it wasn't worth the effort to haggle, especially since they knew I was shopping and must have known that I could go somewhere else for a better deal. I was nice to them, but I was insulted by their offer, so I did not haggle.
Another area dealer said I could order one through them and get MSRP + $99 document fee + state taxes and fees. No shipping charge.
Another dealer said they would sell below MSRP (but couldn't say how much below exactly until invoiced) + state taxes and fees. No shipping charge.
I can't say for sure the actual deal that I'll get because I haven't been through the entire process yet, but if I'm getting what they have said I'll get, it will be MSRP or less plus state taxes and fees.